From now until probably the start of next season, the hottest topic surrounding the Utah Jazz will be Jaren Jackson Jr. He's the biggest piece they've added since Mike Conley Jr., and he fits so many of Utah's needs. It won't be right away, but oh boy, Jackson will change so much about the Jazz.
Jackson's talent and skills combined make this a pretty justifiable deal for Utah, but there was another factor at play here that needs more attention, and that is Keyonte George's ascension.
NBA Insider Jake Fischer confirmed that George's leap with the Jazz factored into their decision to make their deal for JJJ.
"If the Jazz weren't convinced that this Keyonte George breakout is for real, they are not going out and splurging three unprotected first-round picks for Jaren Jackson Jr.," Fischer said.
It's fair to say that no one saw this coming from George. In fact, when his sophomore year ended, the prevailing narrative was that his days as a Jazzman were numbered. Of course it sounds ridiculous now, but his sophomore slump was that bad.
This is unprecedented for the Jazz to see someone who built a lot of hype, then proceeded to fail to live up to it in spectacular fashion, only to then not only resurrect it but also bring it to new heights. That has been the Keyonte George era in a nutshell thus far in Utah, and it's only been three years.
George's ascension changed the Jazz's long-term outlook
George has not been the only promising subplot going on with the Jazz right now, but he has been the most surprising. Lauri Markkanen looks more like his old self after a down year, but because the Jazz have seen that from him, it's not entirely shocking he's looked like a star again (whose availability has been limited yet again by Utah).
George is different, as his astronomical improvement has made many feel good about what's to come from the Jazz, which is why many believe he was an All-Star snub this season. It hasn't translated into wins, but his improvement has been impressive enough that Utah feels good enough about their chances to go out and utilize their best assets on Jackson.
Even before the trade happened, George's play gave the fanbase good reason to believe better times were ahead. These next few months will be a little difficult to swallow, but entering the season, Utah had exactly two players that looked like long-term keepers: Markkanen and Walker Kessler. Now? They have five, and some of the improvements from their other youngsters gives off the vibe that the number will only continue to grow.
Has this season as a whole gone well for the Jazz? Not in the slightest, but the optimism surrounding them is much higher than it was last season. George isn't entirely responsible for that, but he is the primary reason why.